Slovan Bratislava vs Celje – News and Probable Lineups

Guided by 2009 champion Yaya Toure, the favorites Slovan Bratislava are set to kick off their Champions League playoff on Wednesday night, as they welcome Eslovenian underdogs Celje.

Both teams have successfully navigated the second and third qualifying rounds, facing just one more hurdle before they can reach the group stages.

Match overview

Slovan aims to make it into the primary phase of the Champions League for only the second occasion, having ended up 35th out of 36 teams in 2024.

After a challenging debut, the Slovakian club also had a disappointing run in the Conference League last season, but they have now returned to the playoffs for Europe’s premier competition.

Yaya Toure, the former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder, has taken on his first senior coaching position in Bratislava, achieving a remarkable start with six wins and one draw in his initial seven matches.

Slovan triumphed over Iberia Tbilisi with a 3-1 aggregate score in the second qualifying round, before overcoming Swedish champions Mjallby in round three, while winning their first three league matches.

Having been crowned domestic champions once more last season, the Sky Blues are currently leading the Slovak Super Liga as the only team with an unblemished record following a 5-0 home win against Ruzomberok on Saturday.

They will now rematch Celje in the Champions League, having won 6-1 on aggregate in the second qualifying round two years prior.

In their last encounter, a first-leg draw sparked Celje’s hopes for an upset, but those dreams were quickly extinguished by a five-goal loss in Slovakia.

This year’s journey marks their longest in Champions League qualifying, having been eliminated in the second round six summers ago.

As champions of last season’s PrvaLiga, the Slovenian squad began their campaign by prevailing over Albanian side Egnatia via penalties, then edged past Ararat-Armenia with a dramatic 3-2 scoreline in the third round.

Despite being on the brink of elimination in the second leg, a late resurgence kept them in the competition: veteran winger Benjamin Verbic scored the crucial goal that secured their progression.

Consequently, Vitor Campelos and his team are merely one tie away from becoming the second Slovenian club, after Maribor, to qualify for the Champions League’s main phase.

A victory here would also ensure more international matches, as even with a loss in the playoffs, a Europa League spot would serve as significant consolation: Celje has participated in the Conference League for the past two seasons but has never played in either of UEFA’s top two tournaments.

Heading into a challenging match at Stadio Tehelne Pole, they gained confidence with a third successive win over Nafta Lendava on Saturday, placing them just behind early season leaders Maribor.

Team News

Samuel Kozloxy, Alexej Maros, and Japan international Daiki Matsuoka all found the net for the first time in competitive play for Slovan on Saturday, and they are expected to play again midweek, though not necessarily in the starting lineup.

Toure made several alterations in the previous weekend, clearly focusing on the Champions League playoffs, but regulars such as striker Mykola Kukharevych and midfielder Rahim Ibrahim are likely to return.

Slovenia’s striker Andraz Sporar will be sidelined for the clash due to injury, though Armenian winger Tigran Barseghyan, who netted the final goal against Celje two years ago, is fit and available.

Having scored four times across as many qualifiers so far, Mario Kvesic is expected to bear most of the visitors’ attacking responsibility alongside Verbic.

The duo may partner up front with Armandas Kucys, although Matej Poplatnik led the attack against Nafta Lendava.

Australia Under-23 prospect Yaya Dukuly, who scored in that game and also netted a vital late goal against Ararat, is also in contention.

Slovan Bratislava probable starting XI:

Takac; Blackman, Bajric, Wimmer, Cruz; Ibrahim, Pokorny, Matsuoka; Maros, Kukharevych, Barseghyan

Celje probable starting XI:

Laban; Sirva, Hrka, Tutyskinia, Koutris; Seslar, Daniel, Zabukovnik, Kvesic, Verbic; Bitches

The hosts have commenced this season impressively and are now under the guidance of a former Champions League winner, suggesting a clear advantage for Slovan in the first leg.

While Celje has accumulated some experience in European competitions through the Conference League, they may find themselves vulnerable to Yaya Toure’s seasoned side.